By Lucy Zheng

Senior researchers and faculty publish so many papers, ask all the right questions in research, and travel to and speak at so many conferences. They seem to exist in a different universe. This can leave graduate students to wonder: How did they get to where they are today, and what advice do they have for someone just starting out?

Dr. Marcela Raffaelli, professor of human development and family studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shares her experiences (how being pushy as a graduate student may work out in the long run), wisdom (do something different over the summer), career advice (don’t be in a rush to do everything right away) and life advice (limit email checking) in the following interview.

On work

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My identity as a scholar was profoundly shaped by my own experiences growing up. My father is Brazilian, my mother is American, and I have four siblings. Growing up we moved around a lot– by the time I graduated from high school I had attended eight different schools in four countries! I moved to the U.S. to attend Williams College, and then went on to get my Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. I then did a couple of postdocs, and eventually landed a tenure-track job.

How would you describe your current research?

Broadly speaking, my research examines the influence of individual, social and cultural factors on human development. This work is particularly focused on populations that have typically been excluded from “mainstream” developmental research. For example, much of my research has examined the developmental impact of poverty and homelessness, and the adaptation of immigrant families. A central feature of this work is the application of models of developmental risk and resilience to understand adaptation of individuals and families. I’m also committed to using the results of my work to addressing important social issues, by working with community partners, practitioners, or policy makers.

What are your plans for the next few years?

My plans center on disseminating findings from two major projects. One is a study (funded by the W.T. Grant Foundation) that my colleague Reed Larson and I conducted to examine the role of youth programs in supporting positive development. The study was longitudinal, multimethod, and multi-informant, and we have tons of data that we are now writing up with current and former grad students and postdocs. The second is a study on the developmental impact of street life, which my longtime Brazilian collaborator Silvia Koller and I conducted with funding from the Jacobs Foundation. This is a longitudinal study of homeless youth in three Brazilian cities, and we are working on a manuscript examining different aspects of the data, together with our collaborators in each city. The project is important to me because it represents the culmination of more than 20 years of collaborative effort.

How has your research focus and questions changed over time?

One of the things I love about research is that you can pursue new questions and interests over time. Over the years, I’ve explored a lot of different topics. Some shifts were sparked by new opportunities (e.g., my two postdocs focused on HIV/AIDS, which, in turn, sparked an interest in sexual socialization and sexuality). Other shifts were in response to historical factors – like the rising immigrant population in the U.S. over the last 30 years. And sometimes luck played a role – for example, I was fortunate to meet Silvia Koller early in our respective careers, and form a strong collaboration. These changes allowed me to pursue theoretically related questions in different populations and contexts.

What has been your most interesting research finding?

After 30+ years that’s a hard question to answer!  So instead, I’ll talk about two areas where I feel I’ve made significant contributions.  One is the internationalization of the field of adolescent and family studies. Through my work with collaborators and students, I’ve been able to develop programs of research in Brazil, Mexico, and the U.S. This work extends theoretical models by focusing on diverse populations around the globe (e.g., Latino immigrants in the U.S., homeless youth in Brazil, young people in Mexico). I’ve also contributed to the training of students and postdoctoral scholars in each country, and they are doing great work. During my time as associate editor of the Journal of Research on Adolescence, I edited a special issue on “Adolescents in the Majority World,” which was a great opportunity to showcase work from around the world. And in my teaching, I developed and regularly teach the 200-level course Families in Global Perspective.

What advice would you give to graduate students on how they should spend their summers?

Do something different! The traditional academic calendar offers unique opportunities for graduate students to recharge (e.g., spend time relaxing and doing something fun) and explore (e.g., learn new statistical skills or work in a different area of research).

Can you tell the story of how being pushy got you that postdoc position?

This is the story I tell my students to illustrate the value of being assertive. The semester I was finishing up my Ph.D. and starting to worry about my future job prospects, I went to a conference and attended a panel on finding a non-tenure-track job. There were panelists from various types of institutions, including a faculty member who talked about postdoctoral positions on federally funded grants. During his presentation, he mentioned in passing that a project he was part of had a postdoc position open.  I approached him after the panel had ended and asked about the postdoc position. He said something like, “Oh, I really shouldn’t have mentioned that because we’re looking for someone with very specific skills.”  Instead of being deterred, I asked, “What types of skills are you looking for?”  He looked at me with a smirk on his face and said, “Well, I don’t suppose you speak Portuguese, do you?” His expression changed when I replied, “Actually, I DO speak Portuguese!” Within a week, I had a job interview and ultimately ended up spending two years at Johns Hopkins, working on a project with homeless children and adolescents in Brazil. That one moment of pushiness ultimately shaped my entire research trajectory!

Is there any other career advice you’d like to share?

As I always tell my advisees, a career in academia typically lasts many decades, so don’t be in a big rush to do everything right away. And make sure you have fun along the way!

On life

How do you spend your free time?

During the academic year, my free time is limited and we have long winters in the Midwest, so I tend to hang out at home with my husband (we watch a lot of movies and shows – most recently, The Handmaid’s Tale and Alias Grace). I like to cook on weekends, and spend Sunday afternoon doing crossword puzzles or reading (in front of a fire in winter or out on the deck when it’s warmer). During breaks we typically travel to places where we can be outside. We did a lot of camping in our younger days, but now I require a bed and shower. So last summer we stayed at lodges on both the North and South rims of the Grand Canyon, which was amazing. We also regularly visit or travel with our families. 

What is your view on work-life balance, and how do you manage it? How do you advise your students on this balance?

I think it’s important to have a personal life, and I have some strategies for work-life balance that I share with students.  One strategy is limiting email time. As someone who can remember the days before email, I think it’s important to avoid letting technology take over my life!  For example, I don’t check work email after 5 p.m. and I try to keep one weekend day email-free. Another strategy is practicing good time management, so that work doesn’t intrude on personal time. I keep a detailed to do list with deadlines, which helps me stay on top of things. I also ride the bus to work, so I have a folder for “bus work” that can be done in the 20 minutes or so that I’m on the bus. Finally, I think it’s important to learn to say “no,” so that you don’t overschedule yourself – this can be hard for many people, but it’s a valuable skill!

Do you have any book recommendations for casual reading?

This is a hard question because I read a lot and for different reasons.  During the semester, I will often reread a favorite novel to relax before going to sleep (e.g., anything by Jane Austen or Barbara Pym). In the summers, I branch out and read more broadly. I enjoy mysteries (Michael Gruber and Ruth Rendell are two of my favorites) and I’ll read whatever is lying around the house when I visit family (last summer I read Little Bee, by Chris Cleave). Sometimes I’ll binge and read a number of books by the same author (a few years ago it was Khaled Hosseini; before that, Laura Hillenbrand).

How has the decision to not have children shaped your life and career?

This is a decision my spouse and I made very consciously. In fact, we talked about it before we decided to get married (we started going out in college). I wrote a paper on my projected life course my first semester of graduate school, where I said I didn’t plan to have children. My (male) professor expressed dismay about this (our parents weren’t thrilled either!). But we never regretted it. I enjoy being an aunt (my husband and I have 10 nieces and nephews, thanks to various siblings!), but I think it was the right decision for us as a couple. In terms of my career, it allowed me to have the kind of professional life I envisioned for myself. I’ve been able to spend extended periods of time working with research collaborators in various locations, and have mentored many students over the years. As someone with a background in human development, I believe there is more than one path to generativity (to use Erikson’s terminology).

Thank you so much for sharing your stories and insights, Marcela!